The seuenth consideration

THe seuēth cōsideratiō is this: wher now it appeareth vnto you, that if you will giue your loue fréelie there is non so worthy to haue it as Iesu ye sonne of the virgin Mary. I will further shewe vnto you that if you will not fréely giue it, but you will looke peraduenture to haue some thing agayne, yet there is none so well worthie to haue it as he is, for if an other will giue more for it then he, I will not be agaynst it, take your aduantage. But sure I am there is none other to whome your loue is so deare, and of so greate price as it is vnto him, nor any that will come nigh vnto that, yt he hath giuen or wil giue. If his benifits and kyndnesse shewed towardes you, wherof I speak somewhat before, were by you well pondered, they be no small benifites, and especially ye loue of so great a prince, and that he would thus loue you, an[…] preferre you before so many innumerable creatures of his, and that when there was in you no loue, and when you could not skill of loue: yea, and that, that more is, when you were enimie vnto him yet he loued you, and so wonderfully that for your loue and to washe you from sin, and to deliuer your soule from the extreame perrill he shead his most precious bloud, an[…] suffered the most shamefull, the most cruel, and the most painefull death of the crosse, his head to be perced with thornes, his handes and féete to bée thorough holed with nayles, his side to be launced with a speare, and all his most tender bodie to be torne and rent with whippes & scourges. Beléeue this for a very truth good sister, that for your sake he suffered all, as if there had bene no moe in all the world but onely your selfe, which I will declare more largely vnto you in the next consideration following. Beléeue it in the meane tyme certainely, for so it is in déede, and if you belieue it not, you doe a great iniurie and shewe a full vnkindenesse vnto him that thus muche hath done for you. And if this beliefe truly settle in your harte, it is to me a meruaile if you can content your heart without the loue of him, of him I say, yt thus déerely hath loued you, and doeth loue you still. For what other louer will […]e thus much for your loue? What creature in all the world will die for […]our sake? what one person wil depart with one drop of his hart bloud for your sake? whē thē the son of God, the prince of heauē, ye Lord of Angels hath done this for your sake, which thing no other creature wil do, what frost could haue vngeled your harte, that it may not relēt against so great an heat of loue? if he so excelēt in all noblenesse should haue giuen you but one fauourable countenance from the heauens aboue, it had bene a more precious benifit then euer you could recompence by your loue againe. It were impossible for your loue to recompence that one thing. But nowe much rather when he hath descended into this wretched worlde for your sake, and here hath become man, and hath endured all miserie pertaining vnto man, saue onely sinne and ignoraunce, and finally hath suffered this great horrible death for your loue, how shall you euer now recompence this by any loue or seruice to be done for your pittie? And he hath not onely don al this for your sake, but also hath prepared for you after this transitory lyfe a rewarde aboue in heauen, so great that neuer mortal eye saw the lyke, nor any tonge can expresse, nor yet any hart can think. Ah sister whē your wretched soule shall hence departe, which can not be verie longe héere, who shall giue you refreshing the space of one hour. Good therfore it is that you looke vnto your selfe, & vppon him bestow your loue, yt which hitherto hath done most for you, & best hath deserued it beyond all other, and yet after this life he wil giue for it a rewarde so inestimable that it shall neuer fayle you.